A little bit of the green
by waddiwasiwitch
Summary: How does Severus Snape celebrate St Patrick's Day? One-shot silliness.


This is a little Paddy's Day silliness. I hoped to have this up for Patrick's Day but I had a little technical difficulties. 

Please no offence intended to anybody religious. I just mean to poke a little fun at the celebration and being both Irish and a Catholic myself mean no offence.

**A little bit of the green**

Severus Snape awoke with a smile on his face. This was a real smile and that was something that would have convinced many of his students that the world was coming to an end. However Severus was happy because it was St Patrick's Day. There was a myth in Irish wizarding circles that St Patrick had actually been a wizard with the gift of Parseltongue and being a man of a rather cranky disposition and apt to holding grudges spent his life ridding the island of snakes after being bitten by one. Severus knew better. Anyone with an iota of sense knew that this myth was just that. Many of the students did not know the origins of the Potions Master due to the fact hat he had spent most of his life in Hogwarts and no longer retained the accent of his youth. The truth was that Snape was Irish and suitably proud of this fact. However he was hardly about to wear a t-shirt that proclaimed "Kiss me, I'm Irish!!" Nevertheless, he would condescend to give a nod to this day though. He picked a mass of green leaves from a bowl of water that he had placed by his bed the night before. He shook the shamrock and pinned it onto his undergarments where it would remain for the day hidden beneath the vast folds of black cloth. Green was one of the few colours he could tolerate other than black. In fact his sitting room and many of his accessories were green. Most people thought it was not unusual considering he was Head of Slytherin House. He looked at his watch and saw that it was five past five. Every year he granted himself an extra five minutes in bed on this day. A wizard was entitled to indulge himself once in a while after all! He glimpsed at himself in a mirror and realized that he was still smiling. That would never do! He wanted to keep his title as the cranky bat of the dungeon. He schooled his features into his customary scowl.

A few minutes later and after downing a mug of black, unsweetened coffee, he went for his usual prowl about the corridors. Very few others would be wandering about the school at this time of the morning. In his opinion that was why it was the best time of the day! Even Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore, although early risers, rarely were outside their respective quarters at this hour. Severus began whistling "The Fields of Athenry" as he headed out of the dungeons. He may have been relaxed but he was still careful to avoid any embarrassing encounters. Thankfully the halls were free of meddlesome brats and nosy staff and he was able to continue his stroll and the whistling of various Irish tunes without any interruption. 

When he arrived back at his quarters he was surprised to see the Headmaster was waiting for him and dressed in decorative lime green robes. The sleeves had gold and white stitching upon them. 

"Good Lord, are those leprechauns!" he wondered taking a closer look at Dumbledore's robes. Indeed they were! He suppressed a snort of laughter with great difficulty. He refused to give the old man the satisfaction of a reaction.

"Severus, top of the morning to you", the Headmaster greeted him.

"Headmaster", Severus said rolling his eyes at the greeting, that he had never heard a real Irish person utter except in ridiculous muggle movies. Dumbledore beamed at him.

"I want to invite you to have breakfast in my quarters as I have some matters of importance to discuss with you" Dumbledore informed him genially.

Severus nodded in acquiescence, having only drunk a mug of coffee and now feeling hungry, and both men headed to Dumbledore's rooms.

"A lovely English breakfast is waiting for you!" Dumbledore said.

Severus raised an eyebrow at him.

"Don't you mean an Irish breakfast!"

Dumbledore laughed and patted him on the back.

Once the two men had finished eating breakfast, Dumbledore set about giving Severus a proposition of sorts. Severus listened to the Headmaster's proposal with bemusement. The Headmaster intended on having a St Patrick's Day celebration in the staff room that night. Severus was to provide his speciality Irish coffee. Severus had insisted on keeping his recipe to himself despite Dumbledore's many appeals. The coffee looked digusting but Dumbledore could vouch for both its taste and strength as he had been offered a glass the previous year. The only downside was that it turned your tongue green if drunk in excess but in Dumbledore's opinion that was half the fun.

"Begging your pardon but I would hardly call that an important matter", Severus said.

"Oh but it is, young man! All work and no play makes the Hogwarts staff very dull indeed!" the Headmaster replied, waving his finger at the younger wizard.

"Fair enough but only as long as nobody knows it was my concoction. I have my reputation to protect after all", Severus replied.

Dumbledore rubbed his hands together in glee.

"I knew I could rely on you, my dear man!" he exclaimed, eyes twinkling. 

"Well I could hardly let down St Patrick! Patrick is my middle name after all!", Severus replied, "However neither St Patrick nor all the gold in Gringotts could get me sporting leprechauns on my robes."

Hope you enjoyed it. Please read and review. 


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